


Business or Pleasure

by EriiErii



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Awkward Dates, Date That Is Not A Date, Developing Relationship, First Dates, M/M, oblivious lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21598183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EriiErii/pseuds/EriiErii
Summary: As a winner of a German gaming contest, Spherium, turns heads and sparks interest among the various duelist-centric CEOs, rumors are spreading that the creator behind the first game is making a sequel, and Spherium 2 is already showing highly promising potential to take the dueling world by storm, in the right business partner’s hands.Not one to let a golden opportunity slip by, be it from his belief in its potential or to simply beat Pegasus and Zigfried to it, Seto immediately puts his plans in motion to direct the creator of Spherium right into his hands and be the first of the three to talk business.However, given that the creator of Spherium turned out to be Yugi, Seto might have more unexpected challenges on how to negotiate business with the rival-turned-potential-business-partner than he initially planned for.
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Mutou Yuugi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 82





	Business or Pleasure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sammie224466](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sammie224466/gifts).



> Thanks for reading! For post updates, questions, art and general random silliness in between, check me out at eriisaam.tumblr.com for more!

Readjusting his glasses, Seto tried not to let his insecurities show of being out in public… if one could even really call it being 'insecure', that was. It was more like he was preemptively annoyed and somewhat out of his element.

He was, after all,  _ Seto Kaiba. _ What would it matter if people saw him or recognized him? He had more than enough bite in him too that if anyone was dumb and/or ignorant enough to get in his way, he could make them turn heel and run at a glance. His very presence commanded respect and distance, and so help anybody who tried to challenge that.

And yet here he was, the mighty CEO, obscuring himself with reading glasses, a hat, and simple business clothes with no stray arm or leg belt in sight, just so he wouldn't draw too much attention to himself too soon. Why?

"Trust me, Seto," Mokuba said. "It'll make sense," he said. "You really,  _ really _ don't want to scare off this client, it'll be worth it to at least  _ try _ to play nice this time," he said.

Did he  _ really _ have that little faith in him on how to behave in public now? At this point, it wasn't just a matter of curiosity of why Mokuba was so insistent, but a sense of pride to show him his doubts in him were woefully misplaced.

So he waited and bided his time. He arrived early to ensure he could get a table that would keep them far away from others, and made doubly sure there were indeed nobody else who could get close. His neighboring tables were all booked for a reservation far later, just long enough to give him and his client peace of mind.

As flustered as he was to go above and beyond, stretching his neck out for this client, he had faith in Mokuba that it'll be worth it. (And it damn well better be.) He wasn't, however, ignorant of how rarely he would extend such caution and care to someone who wasn't his brother, particularly in the name of business.

Maybe he was losing his edge. Then again, what did it matter?

He wasn't  _ completely _ ignorant of who he was supposed to meet with, however. But he  _ did _ have to give them credit that, whoever he was, they took quite the impressive steps to hide who they really were as a person. 

His name was Max Mustermann… or so he claimed. It was painfully obvious the name was little else but a German John Doe of a name, and anything he tried to cross-reference with him came up with enough evidence to make Seto question if he was dealing with yet another ghost. (He damn well better not. He had enough of this supernatural crap...) No place of origin besides some indistinct spot in Germany, no age or face or anything to really tell who he was besides being a man, and no background or records whatsoever. Normally, Seto would've thought little of this whole bucket of red flags to pass through his notice, except for one very big detail that made it worth overlooking all of this.

He was a damn good game designer, whoever the hell he was. He was so good that he could see Pegasus and Zigfried's ears burning from Industrial Illusions and Schroeder Corp all the way from here. He created a game called Spherium all for the sake of a contest set in Germany, and while he already turned heads just on that game alone - rough around the edges and amateurish as it may - what little news trickled of its successor, Spherium 2, caused even more eyes to be fixed on this mysterious upstart of a game creator. 

Maybe it was because there was potential everyone could clearly see for what Spherium 2 could do for the dueling world in the right hands. Or maybe this was one big corporate pissing contest of which Mustermann was the lucky target to benefit from it all. 

Either way, Seto would fight tooth and nail to lay claim on Spherium 2 first, even if it took a bit to 'play nice' to do it. 

Even before finding himself waiting for the mysterious Mustermann to appear, Seto already did much to take the lead in cornering Mustermann and securing his meeting as it were.  _ Originally, _ he and Mokuba caught wind that Mustermann was still somewhere in Domino, and he would've nearly migrated back to Germany right into Zigfried's welcoming arms if Mokuba hadn't swooped in first and sweet-talked Mustermann with a far more enticing, immediate plan than Zigfried's 'let's talk business when you get here' approach. To Seto's pride in his brother, Mustermann took Mokuba's bait to linger just a little longer for Seto to step in.

_ Eat it, Zigfried. _

But now was the wait. Maybe he was uptight as all hell, but could anyone blame him? If he could swoop in and steal a seemingly sure-fire meeting from Zigfried, he remained vigilant against Pegasus and Zigfried paying him back in kind, in a manner of speaking. While Seto waited and stared cautiously around the restaurant with the intensity of a tiger hidden in the reeds, he placed his full trust in Mokuba that he could say just the right words and instruct the (supposedly) flighty Mustermann to know exactly where to find Seto and how to approach him when he did.

But alas, he  _ was _ still out in public, and of course it wouldn't stop people who knew him just a little too personally to see right through him at just the wrong time.

Case in point, his eyes were fixed on the latest man to walk in, immediately tensing when he recognized it was Yugi. His annoyance spiked just a little more, as if bracing for yet another run-in or challenge or world-saving favor from him (while of course quietly distracting himself from all the times Seto harassed  _ him _ in often badly-timed, inconvenient ways more than vice versa).

Granted… he had to give credit where it was due that Yugi looked much more mature lately, he seemed to catch up if not surpass the pharaoh in looks and (dare he even be humble enough to say it) dueling skill, and he  _ did _ relent that Yugi was a friend (ugh) when he needed him to be, and a worthy rival when he wanted him to be…

But dammit, now was  _ not _ the time to have to deal with him!

Seto fixated completely on Yugi the minute he stepped in the restaurant. With how he went straight to talking to the clerk at the front desk, he had yet to notice any particular person already there, much less him. He did find it odd how someone like him would want to go in a high-end sushi restaurant like this place, but he was the King of Games still, remained a decently competitive duelist, and as Seto was quite well aware, Yugi gathered more than enough prize money and then some just through all of the antics Yami and Seto's dueling pissing contests and spats dragged him through, let alone what little lower-key contests he felt like doing after, so this wasn't  _ entirely _ out of the question.

But then there was a server who directed him awfully close to where Seto was sitting. In fact, it was almost as if the server was directing him straight to him.

…Wait, he actually was. 

It didn't take much for the two duelists to lock eyes, even with the distance still between them that the server clearly wanted to close up. Yugi initially seemed surprised to see Seto, but what surprised Seto in kind was how Yugi hesitated and looked over the other tables one more time before focusing back onto him, as if he expected to find someone else.

While still at the distance they were, Yugi exchanged a few more hushed words with the server that Seto didn't care to focus enough to hear. Whatever the case, what mattered more was that, to Seto's dismay, Yugi was coming closer to his table after all.

Great…

"Now isn't the best time to come beg for my help, Yugi…" He knew he didn't have much bite in his words when it came to speaking to Yugi nowadays. Mokuba certainly wasn't shy to point out such and rub it in his face every so often. The only explanation Seto could offer was that by then, Yugi  _ did _ prove his worth and merit to earn his respect, as rough around the edges as it still was. There was little else to it beyond that, surely. 

Well, either that, or they spent years going over the same song and dance with one another that by then, the two could very well predict one another's moods and reactions. Probably.

"Hello to you too, Kaiba…" Case in point, Yugi had little else to add of such a preface besides a brief eyeroll and a slight headshake. "No, there's something else I'm here for."

"Make it quick." So it was gonna be one of  _ those _ favors, right? He took a cautious glance just past Yugi toward the front door, just to be sure Jounouchi or one of his other friends weren't hiding just around the corner, waiting to spring out and make themselves known. To his relief, Yugi seemed alone, and when Seto wasn't so guarded as to expect the nerd herd to come charging in, he took notice of Yugi wearing a fairly formal suit over his uniform Seto spent years growing accustomed to.

...Well… Yugi didn't look  _ bad _ in it. It's just… new… But he wasn't about to let his guard down just because Yugi felt like dressing up professionally for whatever reason.

"I feel like this isn't something to rush, actually." Yugi held a playful tone to his words, but only very slightly. "To be honest, I kinda expected to see Mokuba, but I'm flattered you'd take that much interest after all."

"What are you talking about? What business do you have with Mokuba?" And sure, maybe Mokuba and Yugi were getting along pretty well as friends, among others, but that still didn't answer why they apparently wanted to meet up here, too. Mokuba of all people knew best that he had a meeting with

...wait…

“Mokuba didn’t tell you?” He smiled, but it was faint. His tone was playful, but it was heavily overshadowed by his surprise. It was from that tone that Seto realized it wasn’t some kind of prank Yugi was in on. Then again, he didn’t like where this was going as it is.

“No…?”

“You’re waiting for Max Mustermann, right? To talk about Spherium 2. I ah… guess the secret is out… I’m him.”

…

....

… DAMMIT, MOKUBA.

“Y..yes.” He hastily cleared his throat. It wasn’t a good look for  _ Seto Kaiba _ to stutter, but while Seto wanted to think Yugi was just playing a poorly-timed trick on him, he knew better that it wasn’t usually fitting of Yugi to pull such a stunt in the first place. Besides… The reason Spherium caught his interest so much, and why such interest grew in Spherium 2, was because the game was clearly made with the best interest of a duelist in mind. It was built from a perspective only a true duelist would’ve known of where Duel Monsters shined the brightest and where the edges were the most rough. Even in the body and direction of an RPG game, it still knew just enough of its source to work seamlessly to branch out the heart in each card to almost capture how the life of kas worked in tandem with the ancient duelists of Atem’s time.

So maybe Seto shouldn’t have been so surprised, and his urge to dismiss Yugi and turn him away was silenced just before he would’ve made such a critical mistake.

After all, who else would know the game as intimately as he did besides the King of Games? The Pharaoh’s successor of sorts?

“...Have a seat then, Yugi.” His tone was calm and neutral. He indicated the seat directly across him, sharing a respect for him different from the rare shows he had after their past, intense duels. Was this a side to Seto of how he was like when facing the CEO of KaibaCorp, and not the billionaire duelist he faced so many times before?

“Ah, right. Sure.” Whatever the case, Yugi didn’t question it. He realized how quickly Seto accepted the fact, much as it surprised him. Still, he sat in place, but didn’t dare touch anything to the side or on the conveyor without Seto making the first move toward such.

“Why didn’t he say anything…” With a quick glance to his phone, Mokuba had little more to say than a text that simply said “you’re welcome”. He initially muttered to himself, but while he took advantage of Yugi’s ignorance to check, knowing any other would’ve considered it a faux pas, he was still annoyed for the surprise. “How did he even know?” Especially when Seto himself didn’t?

“To be fair, Mokuba found out very recently.” He knew Seto was speaking more to himself than to him, but he didn’t fear the CEO as much to mind his manners as strictly when the CEO himself barely did likewise. “Planning a cross-country trip, the airport didn’t take kindly to people using an alias… He found out just around the time I was still trying to book a flight to Germany.”

“Ah…” Still didn’t explain why Mokuba kept it to himself when Seto was a text away, but he had a feeling Mokuba saw a perfect opportunity to stick it to him, and he went for it. "You were thorough," if annoyingly so. "But why?"

"It's easier to manage when it's private." Not that he minded Seto asking, but he thought very little of it. But while he had little else to share but a shrug, Seto was left with even more questions of what else Yugi did when the two didn't cross paths.

They both took the time to make green tea. Although Seto was the first to make the attempt, Yugi was the first of the two that grabbed one of the open plates off the conveyor belt when Seto was a little more particular of his own choice. Regardless, their respective plates of fatty tuna and tempura, the way they prepared their own saucer of sauce and the way they idly mixed wasabi in it felt more like a routine the two did just to keep up an act. The idle way Yugi continued to mix the wasabi in his soy sauce was more of an excuse to find the right words to say next.

"...Hmhm~ I meant what I said earlier, I'm still kinda surprised Spherium was enough to drag you out here. Was it really that interesting?" Maybe there was a slight hint of doubt, and he felt bad putting down what was supposed to be his own product, but he caught himself just in time to keep that doubt from harming the merit of his games. At least nowadays, he learned better how to bolster himself, and considering how Seto saw how he was in the past, he paid him in kind.

_ " _ Yes.  _ Very. _ "

"Oh? Do tell." 

"Better yet, I can show you how much."

With a quick motion, Yugi was made immediately aware Seto was not only armed with a check book, as usual, but how routine it was by that point to whip it and a fountain pen out. The motion was so quick, and Seto's tools of trade so well-hidden, that it was almost as if he pulled them out of thin air.

"Let's cut to the chase, Yugi. You know what I can offer, and you know as well as I do what I'm capable of. I can write all kinds of numbers on this, and your life can take all kinds of directions with it." 

He knew he had Yugi's attention. He also knew from the slight twitch in Yugi's eyes at the click of his pen that he had total command of him.

"What about that game shop? Your parents and grandfather? We can wrap up this entire meeting, and you can be set for life, so long as I have Spherium."

He watched. He bided his time as the seconds ticked. He figured as much Yugi would need a moment when the monetary possibilities laid in front of him were endless. Seto was vigilant of the tells from the way Yugi bought himself just a little more time with a seemingly-timid sip of his tea.

"...Funny." But it was 'seemingly', more for how Yugi didn't seem intimidated or actually timid after all. He smiled to Seto, but as 'sweet' as it looked outwardly, he felt an underlying tone to him he didn't expect from  _ Yugi _ of all people. "That's exactly what Pegasus and Zigfried offered, too. I'd say Pegasus had a sweeter deal of the three so far, even."

_ "What did Pegasus say?" _ Seto  _ tried _ to be cordial, but his tone tensed before he could help it. Yugi cleared his throat before not only relaying what he said, but even went out of his way to imitate his voice as well.

"I'll give you a bit of time to think about it, Yugi-boy, but just know that whatever money Kaiba-boy is offering, consider my deal double that~"

"He…! You  _ know _ he's bluffing, Yugi! You can't honestly-"

"Oh, I know." But Seto was starting to see the clear differences between him and the pharaoh now. What he thought was the weakest of the two in the past might actually not be as sweet and innocent as he convinced himself all these years. "But my point is, between the three of you, money is all but certain no matter who I pick to partner with."

"And I'm sure  _ you're _ aware that  _ I _ have the most of all."

"Unless you're planning to give me all of it, there's a limit to what you'd give me, I'm sure."

"And what if I  _ would _ give you all of it?"

"Haha~ Now you're just being silly."

Yugi had him right where he wanted him. What Seto thought was an easy victory for himself suddenly turned much more complicated, particularly when it was  _ Yugi _ he was dealing with. Despite their mutual respect, Seto wasn't ignorant of their past, or the bad blood that already went down between the two as it is. Was Yugi toying with him now as revenge for that? 

But then with one piece of fried shrimp eaten in peace, and one fillet of tuna munched on in brewing irritation as the checkbook and pen retreated back into hiding, Yugi gave Seto a moment to take his frustrations out on the tuna before trying to approach this with a little more respect.

"The money  _ is _ a good offer in itself. I am certainly still interested in that. Buuuut, maybe there's more that I want besides  _ just _ being bought out."

"Join me, and I'll ensure you retain commission and recognition for your portion of the-"

"Not so fast, Kaiba."

To Yugi's surprise, he did. At first, Seto acted on reflex, partially out or habit of similar deals he faced, and partially thinking maybe Yugi heard the bare basics of whatever contract terminology sounded pretty and went with it.

With how surprisingly determined Yugi looked, he saw a whole new side to the shorter duelist that commanded much more attention.

"I don't want to just simply sell Spherium to whoever just to cash in." Ok, Seto had that point loud and clear. "But I don't want to just turn it over to just anyone and pray for the best, either. I'm sure you, Pegasus and Zigfried have all kinds of different plans and directions you want to take, but I didn't plan Spherium II as just something to cash out with and abandon ship on like that."

"So in other words, you want some creative control." He was skeptical of the concept, but still found the project worth the potential headache of Yugi possibly stepping on his toes in this.

"I want a business partner." Maybe it was the same difference, but for what Yugi  _ really _ meant, Seto  _ did _ see his true request.

He also saw an advantage, especially with how tense Yugi seemed, not at the request, or at Seto, but of something else. 

"It  _ would _ be easy to just turn it over, wouldn't it? But I don't want Spherium to be just yet another minor piece to enhance the current game of Duel Monsters, and I don't want it to be just yet another tabletop game. I  _ do _ want to integrate duel monsters into it, but I want it to become so much more of a thing of its own, not just yet another thing to sink into obscurity after it had its run enhancing the same thing over and over while doing little for the cards themselves."

As much as Yugi knew he might be shooting his own foot to be so emotionally-charged, Seto felt differently. He saw it as clear evidence to Yugi's passion, and it was enough for him to take pause of his earlier mindset, thinking that he would just get in his way and be inconvenient as a mere director. 

"I want it to be more than just yet another footnote to make Duel Monsters seem slightly fresher for the moment. But I won't pretend I know the first thing about how to catch up to any of you even a little."

He saw for himself now why Spherium and its sequel had so much heart and soul in it. Yes, it was true. Yugi didn't stand much chance to catch up to the three, both in experience and budget.

But damned if he didn't make the effort to try.

He saw that even if Yugi would never construct a critical rival to his holographic world, or the various other games Pegasus endorsed if not created on top, it still was a concept worth trying to push out there, and clearly a concept worth fighting for.

So it surprised Yugi when he managed to get him to smile. Just a little, but it was still a smile.

"So… you want a co-creator then. Not just a manufacturer or benefactor, but a partner."

"Yes." At least Yugi was relieved Seto saw his point quickly enough, which left him hopeful of what direction Seto's offers would aim now.

"Then be mine, Yugi."

"...Huh?"

"Be my partner, Yugi."

Although… did have to word it like  _ that? _

He was torn. He looked serious, but in his own way, sincere. Yugi made the point clear now there was much more to this than just the numbers of the latest check, or navigating resentments Yugi might or might not still hold against Seto. He made a much more thoughtful effort this time to put his best foot forward, which was enough for Yugi to take pause.

But…

"...I um…"

"...No?"

"..."

"...What? What now? You hadn't already made a deal all this time, have you?"

"No, not that…"

"So why the hesitation? You already said it yourself, the other two wouldn't give you such creative freedom. What more convincing do you need?”

“Well…  _ you. _ ”

Seto blinked. What about him? Wasn’t this strictly about business? Then again, it took him way longer than it usually did that since this whole discussion, he didn’t have the kind of edge he normally had to him for others. He didn’t know why, but something about Yugi lately was certainly… disarming. If that was the right word for it.

“What about me?”

“About what happened not too long ago. About you and Yami.” Even with knowing his true name was Atem, there was still a bitter, nostalgic feeling to keeping the nickname the pharaoh stuck with for so long prior. 

“And what about me or the pharaoh?”

Wrong answer. He was used to the ways Yugi glared in times things got tense during the more critical duels of the past, but he was taken aback how he grew into making the glares especially sharp now. Yet it was a distinct edge compared to when Yami would do it.

“Are you serious? Did you  _ really _ forget all about what happened the last time you tried to meet Yami again?”

“...How did-”

“Mokuba certainly didn’t forget.” He was in utter disbelief of it, ignoring how it took Seto a moment to realize Mokuba probably shared his latest experiment with the Quantum Cube. “You’ve nearly,  _ literally _ reunited with Yami. He blew up our phones in a panic. Maybe you still don’t think highly of any of us, but we were all worried for both your sakes.”

“Tch…” So many thoughts ran through Seto’s head, and he certainly, visibly tensed enough to forewarn Yugi of what to expect. What business was it of his what he did? Why would he pretend to suddenly care about what either brothers did? What did any of this have to do with why Yugi was so stubborn all of a sudden to keep him just short of taking co-ownership of Sherium? And what was that look for?

And yet, the only thing to come out of his mouth was a disgruntled sigh, focusing on the rest of the pieces of fatty tuna and buying himself more time to think. Giving him such time, Yugi focused on finishing his own plate similarly.

Maybe none of the criticisms he was locked and loaded to spew came out because a deeper part of him stopped his more impulsive side, knowing Yugi had a point. The problem was, he didn’t understand it. What did Yugi care?

...Well, then again, Yugi went through a lot with him, come to think of it. Whether he liked it or not, he did drag Yugi through all manner of his dirty laundry and dark secrets by accident or a few times, force. He knew nearly as much as Mokuba did, so maybe in that regard, Seto was far from one to talk about whether or not this was any of Yugi’s business when he himself went out of his way to make it his business time and again.

“How can I be sure that partnering with you wouldn’t be a mistake?”

“Come again?”

“With you chasing Yami down like that.” Idly, Yugi took a small plate, this time a parfait among the few that tried to blend in among the plates of sashimi and sushi circulating on the belt. 

Seto narrowed his eyes in a mild glare. He was far from one to tell Yugi what he could and couldn’t eat, but he recognized him skipping to desert after just one plate of tempura sent the message loud and clear he’d leave soon if nothing improved. And with how Yugi seemed half-neutral, half-serious glancing to him in response, he knew exactly what kind of message he sent as well.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Depends on your answer.” So far he didn’t touch it yet, but the point was made clear. “Let’s say I partner with you after all. And then you go on and continue with whatever the hell you’re doing with the Quantum Cube again. Maybe you’ll get seriously hurt again. Or maybe next time you won’t be so lucky to just walk away from it again. What then?”

He saw Seto open his mouth to protest. For once, all Yugi had to do was shoot him a pointed look, and he thought against it after all. Yet again, Seto saw the differences, not just in the multiple ways Yugi had since grown up from that shy, timid child he first met, yet commanded attention in ways that differed from Yami’s straightforward commands.

“If you die, it’s all over. Mokuba still doesn’t feel like he’s ready yet to tackle on the things you constantly shoulder for him. I can’t honestly say I blame him, especially if we were to take on this deal together. You’d be abandoning both of us and leaving us fending for ourselves far too soon. And for what? To try to force Yami to come back when he made his point clear time and again he was against it.”

Maybe he underestimated Yugi after all, especially nowadays. The easiest argument would be to tell Yugi off. After all, how dare he think he could tell him what to do or how to live his life? But… he also had him right where he wanted him. He had more to lose in his deal than Yugi did, especially when he made his point clear Pegasus and Zigfried were both waiting on the wings for him to screw up. Yugi cared, truly. He cared enough to learn to play Seto’s games and say just the right words to slip his cares under layers of business talk, which made it harder for him to resist like all the upfront friendship speeches or attempts to have a heart-to-heart with him like Yami and the others.

It was… humbling, how it took him this long to realize maybe he might’ve been chasing after the wrong ‘Yugi’ for quite some time.

“...Hmhm. So your other demand is you want the leash over my life too now?”

“You know as well as I do that you are your own master, and that’s not at all what I asked.” Although, it did amuse Yugi a little at the slight tease, however vague and flat it was. “I just want a little… shall we say…  _ insurance _ that my potential business partner would take better care of himself.”

“Oh? And since when did you suddenly declare yourself my mother?”

“Since figuring you’d actually want to live long enough to see the outcome of our collaboration in full, and not just do all the legwork just to leave me with all the glory.”

He snorted. More, he smiled before he could realize it enough to hide it. This scheming little bastard was certainly something else…

And well… maybe he  _ could _ get used to that. He saw so much of how Yami rivaled him, so maybe he had quite a bit to catch up on how Yugi plays.

“Heh… Alright. Fine. So you want money, to be a co-creator, and you want to prove you give a damn. Is that the kind of contract you want? Was that all?”

“I’m sure we can still iron out the finer details and wording, buuut… yes. Basically.”

“ _ Hah. _ Easy enough.”

“Oh? Are you sure about that? Because somehow, I rather doubt that.” 

Oh, playing hard to get, are we?

“You know, Yugi… You’re playing an awfully dangerous game to doubt me and my merit as a CEO.”

Perhaps a different angle was in order on how to approach this. He leaned forward, eyeing Yugi carefully with a look that was challenging, but not quite in the same way as how he would just before challenging Yami to a duel. It left Yugi intrigued to see yet another side to him, but still doubtful of how much Seto was taking his request seriously, particularly in regards to his health.

“Maybe… But is my doubt really that ridiculous? Or are you willing to prove me wrong?”

“Hmph… Then let me show you.”

...Show him what? Yugi took pause.

“...Uuh… Here? What do you mean?” While confused, he was also aware how Seto leaned up just a little closer.

“Let me show you what I mean.” He pressed his point and went full out on it, especially once Yugi’s guard was down. “Let me prove to you that I can keep my word as a man of business. Let me show you that I have far more to offer than Pegasus or Zigfried ever would. Let me show you as I am that you’d immediately feel like a fool to ever doubt me in the first place.”

Well, Yugi could certainly see sincerity in his words, if overwhelmingly so. He blinked when Seto extended his hand out.

“Let me prove myself as your partner. As long as you commit to being mine. So enough stalling, enough doubts, and enough of all this. Be mine, Yugi. Swear right here and now you’ll be  _ mine. _ ”

...Was this still even about Spherium? Yugi wasn’t sure, especially with the way Seto stared him down and straight into his soul during his entire proclamation.

But… He didn’t really have much of a leg to stand on to protest anymore, he had to admit. And he did seem to take his concerns into account, so…

“...Alright.” He took Seto’s hand and accepted his fate. Quickly, Seto tightened a grip on his hand, as did Yugi. “It’s a deal then.  _ Partner. _ ”

It was funny. Back then, he was certain that Seto was talking business and little more. He might’ve been a little too forward than he expected, but he had to give him credit that he spoke from the start.

At first, Seto thought the same. It was a business deal and little more, he thought, even if it was with a rival he came to hold to higher regard than he would initially admit.

But then when the two parted ways from that restaurant so long ago, Seto took in his own words and feelings that left him confused. Sure, they left in higher spirits, but there was something that felt bittersweet to see Yugi leave, even if briefly.

He would return, not as Yugi the Rival, but Yugi the Partner. Initially, that’s all Seto cared about at the moment, but… Since that meeting, things felt different. He initially brushed it off as just his surprise of how Yugi adapted to the business side of things or how they spoke to one another as co-creators rather than duelists looking down the metaphorical barrels of their monsters in a duel.

But then there were little things slowly creeping up on him, too. Mokuba kept teasing him of how that meeting was like a date. He protested, of course, but then was Mokuba really wrong? 

And sure, it wasn’t really any of his business of what Yugi did with his life when they  _ weren’t _ around one another, but when Yugi stepped away, he felt much more irritable than usual. At first, he thought it was just annoyance of Yugi finding things more important somehow than progress on Spherium 2 and how to approach integration with his tech, but… then there were times he felt irritable even when he didn’t have anything to really go over with Yugi right then anyways. He noticed too how, at times, Yugi seemed to bring a few things to do in tandem with whatever Spherium 2 needed at the moment, or just seemed calmer when the two worked in the same room, whether or not they even spoke one another. But then… well… they  _ did _ wind up talking more and about little things more often. Mokuba especially wouldn’t hesitate to remind him time and again.

...Maybe he could convince Yugi to go out on a date to that restaurant again. His treat.

...Wait, what was he thinking? At least it could do good to change their environment as they worked, taking it there, but it was hardly a date!

...Right?


End file.
